ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. - Military and local emergency responders will conduct a mass casualty incident exercise Tuesday evening in Ellwood City, simulating a vehicle striking multiple pedestrians.

The drill is part of Operation Healthy Ellwood, a Department of Defense initiative bringing no-cost health services to the community.

The exercise is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29, on Lawrence Avenue between 4th and 6th Streets. Road closures will begin at 1 p.m. for setup.

More than 40 civilian volunteers, including six local volunteer fire departments, will participate alongside approximately 30 military personnel.

Residents may hear loud sounds and emergency vehicle sirens, and see simulated injuries and high-fidelity manikins creating a realistic training environment.

Operation Healthy Ellwood is an Innovative Readiness Training mission providing military units with hands-on, real-world training while offering free medical, dental, optometry, behavioral health, and veterinary care to residents.

U.S. Air Force Col. Nicole Hurley, an Ellwood City native and 1991 graduate of Lincoln High School, spearheaded the effort to bring the Department of Defense mission to her hometown. Hurley, a colonel in the Air Force Reserve Command, observed a similar IRT mission in Monroe, Louisiana, in 2023 and worked with Ellwood City borough officials to apply for the program.

Nearly 200 military medical professionals from the Air Force, Army, and Navy are staffing the no-cost health clinic at Lincoln High School, 501 Crescent Avenue.

The clinic offers medical exams, school and sports physicals, dental exams, X-rays, fillings, extractions, vision screenings, on-site eyeglass fabrication, behavioral health services, prescriptions, and veterinary exams. Health education and community resources are also available.

The clinic operates from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, on a first-come, first-served basis, through Aug. 1. There are no residency requirements for services.

The IRT program aims to strengthen military readiness and deliver healthcare to underserved communities across the United States.

Lawrence Avenue between 4th and 6th Streets will be closed to public traffic starting at 1 p.m. on Tuesday for exercise setup and will reopen following the conclusion of the event.